Dancehall Producer Linval Shab Don Thompson Acquitted of Corruption Prevention Act Breaches

Linval ‘Shab Don’ Thompson Jr., the dancehall music producer, was found not guilty of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act after Presiding Judge Alwayne Smith ruled that the prosecution’s evidence contained inconsistencies, ending a trial that began on February 19, 2026 and concluded on March 2, 2026.

Prosecutors had alleged that in October 2021 Thompson offered JMD $2 million to a police officer to remove an illegal firearm from his Mercedes‑Benz before it was searched. The incident was said to have taken place in Old Harbour, St Catherine, when members of the police Specialised Operations SWAT team searched a vehicle in which Thompson and another man were travelling and reportedly found a loaded illegal firearm.

The trial, which opened on February 19, 2026, turned on witness testimony and credibility. Four witnesses gave evidence during the proceedings; the credibility of two of those witnesses was challenged in court. After hearing the evidence, Judge Alwayne Smith acquitted Thompson, citing the inconsistencies identified in the prosecution’s case as the basis for the not guilty finding.

Defence attorney Donahue Martin confirmed the outcome in court and to reporters. "Well yes, I can confirm that my client Mr Linval Thompson was found not guilty for breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act. And in relation to this matter, he’s a free man," Martin said.

Court files show Thompson was subsequently charged in connection with the Old Harbour search and the related corruption allegation, and he was later freed of both gun and bribery charges. The sequence and timing of those prior dispositions relative to the March 2 ruling were not detailed in court statements released at the hearing.

Thompson faces separate, more serious proceedings in St James. He and co-accused Tajay Clark were remanded in custody in connection with a triple murder case arising from the fatal shooting of three people at a birthday party on Marl Road in Rose Heights, St James, on May 25, 2022. That matter was listed for trial in the St James Circuit Court and remains pending following the corruption trial outcome.

The acquittal in the Corruption Prevention Act case removes the bribery count from the immediate list of charges against Thompson, but the St James Circuit Court proceedings in the May 25, 2022 triple murder remain the next major scheduled legal step in his criminal matters.